Hardware removing tool



H; NELSON HARDWARE REMOVING TOOL Filed Sept 1948 Mir .rl W

4 WWW INVENTOR H I S RNEIYS Patented May 12, 1953 NIaTED ESTATES PATENT OFFICE,

" "HARDWARE REMOVING TOOL Harry N elson, New York; N Y.,"---a'ssignorto Lorent'zenlia-rdware; Mfig. Gorn, New York, N. Y.-, acorporationof New York A iplication'sdpteniber 3, I948, SerialNo.-47,637'

(Cl. BL-) 2 Glaims.

1 This invention relates to Venetian-blinds am more --particularly to atool for and method of' removing fittings frorn head bar'sof Venetian blinds.

In the so-called inclosed head type of'Venetianblinds', ra time-seaming fittings are contained wit'hin amore'on less inclosed headb'ar thatbonc'ealsthe fittings from View. I In 11 certain of 'these inclosed iie'ads'fo'r med of sheet metal, the'fittin'gs', which may onsist'of a tiltentwo or more tilt 'rod' cradles and acord lockyar held in place on the mside bottom wallof the head b'ar by tabs' previous'ly struck from thebottom wall ofthe-head bar and bent down on the bases "of thefitting's'to retainthe fittings inposition. The openings le'f't in the bottoni wall or" the head bar may' be' utilized for passage- "of blind operating cords or ladder tapes. Refeierice is m'ad'e to'my c'opendi'ng' application-S. v N. 7 78302. Patent 2;'629,43l, -issued February 24, 1-953, for a 'detailed-description of'such a head bar.

his sometimes necessary-or desirable to remove some oi all' of the fittings from apreviou'sly-assembl'ed head bar in orderto replace a "defective fitti'ng or salvage fittings from a defective or otherwise unusable head bar. The present invention is directed to the provision of an improved hand-operated tool forgand method of, engaging and raising-the bent overta-bs from fitting-engaging position so as to free the fitting for removal from the head bar.

Inthe form' 'shownfthe tool-of the present invention comprises a thin, generally flat plate having at least one end folded back upon itself insp'a'ced relation to form a" hook. The hooked end'porti'on of 'thetool isna'rro'wer than'the' width of theiopeningsiormed in the head bar by striking' tabs therefrom so that the end of the tool may be' inserted"throughthi-s "head bar opening beside thetaband' the hook engaged over theend of'the'tab. Theny'by displacing the tool'ab'out the side 'of the slotas a fulcrum, the tool acting as a'fi'rst'class type of lever; the engaged tab may 'beraised from fitting-engaging"position, after'which the t'oo'lis disengaged from the'tab and withdrawn from'the head bar. I

An "object of the present invention i-sto 'provide an improved method for disengaging fittingsecuring tabs from blind-operating fittings that have been mounted in Venetian blind inclosed. metal heads.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved tool useful in removing blind-operating fittings from Venetian blind inclosed metal heads.

Further objects and objects relating to details ,2 of construction, manufacture and use'will' more definitely appear from the detailed descrip'tion t'o follow.

My invention is"'clearly defined irftheappended claims. I In the claims, as well as -in' the descriptiomparts are at times identified byzspecific namesfor clarity'and convenience, but such nomenclature is to be understood as having the broadest meaning consistent with the context and withthe concept of' my invention asdistinguished from thelpertinent prior artJ The best form in which I'have conte1riplatedzapplying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in' which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a tool of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view =ofan inclosed metal headshowing the tilter'and a tilt-rod cradle mounted within'the head.

Fig. 3 is a'vertical-section, on an enlargediscale, taken'on the line 33 of Fig. .2, one enduof the tool of Fig. 1 being shown engagedwith one of thecradie-retaining tabs of the head bar.

'Fig; 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectionflon an enlarged scale, taken on theline 4 -4 of Fig.2, the other end of'thetool of Fig. l"being shown in engagement with one of the filter-retaining tabs I of the head bar and the tool having 1 been displaced to: raise the tab from fitting' retaining position.

I In order that the 'natureandi operationof the tool of the present invention may be rbetter understood, a description of the construction (of the head "bar with whichthepresent form-.o'f-the inventionis intended to be used will'first be given.

Referring to Figs; 2, 3 and-4,'the inclosed r'netal head w coi'nprises a sheet-metal channel which has blind-operating fittings such as the tilter i2- and the" tilt rod cradle 14 mounted along the'inner face of the bottom wall thereof. The tilter I2 is retained in position byte-be I5,

15, bent'over its'basej'these' tabs havingpreviouscord look (not shown), these fittings being likewise retained within the channel H in the same manner as those fittings that are shown. The tabs which hold the cord lock fitting may be of the same size and shape as the tabs I5, I5. This head bar is described in greater detail in my copending application S. N. 778,002, previously referred to.

The tool I! for removing the fittings from the metal head I0 may be formed in one piece of sheet steel approximately .025 of an inch thick; and the tool may be hardened, at least for its end portions, after being formed. An end 20 of the body I9, which end preferably has a width only slightly less than the slots formed in the channel H by striking the tabs I6, I6, is folded upon itself in parallel spaced relation to form a hook 2I (Figs. 2 and 3). The opening in the hook 2I is of such size as to engage over the end of the tabs I6, I6. If desired, the end 20 of the tool I! may be given a slight transverse bend 22 just below the hook 2| and in the same direction as the hook, the advantage of so forming the hook being explained later.

The opposite end 23 of the tool I! may be formed to a more or less similar cross section (Figs. 3 and 4) so as to form a hook 24 and a transverse bend 25. However, in this instance, the end 23 is somewhat narrower, the width being such as to be slightly narrower than the tabs I5, I5 securing the tilter I2 so that this end may be introduced through the slots in the channel I I formed by striking the tabs I5, I5.

The intermediate portion 26 of the tool I7 may be formed of the same width as the wider end 20 thereof, and is preferably provided with a pair of marginal upstanding flanges 27, 21 to give desirable rigidity to this portion of the body I9. The ends of the flanges 21, 27 may be chamfered if desired, as is perhaps best seen in Fig. 3. A

hole 28 may be provided in the body I9 between the'fianges 21, 21 for convenience in hanging the tool when not in use.

In the use of the tool I1 for removing the tilt rod cradle I4 from the metal head II), the end 20 of the tool I1 is introduced through one of the slots formed in the channel II by striking a tab I6, the hook 2I being engaged over the end of the tab I6 as shown in Fig. 3. Engagement of the hook 2I over the tab I6 is facilitated in i this instance by the fact that the tab is bent down over a bead on the base of the tilt rod cradle I4, leaving the end of the tab free. However, even when tabs are bent over fiat bases such as the base of the tilter I2, the free end of the tab is never in such close engagement with the base of the fitting that the backwardly bent portion of the hook cannot be introduced between the end of the tab and the fitting. The transverse bend 22 facilitates engagement of the hook 2I with the tab I6 by inclining the hook in the direction of the tab when the end 20 of the tool I! is inserted within the channel II. The transverse bend 22 is so positioned as to be approximately at the base of the tab I6 when the hook 2| is engaged with the tab.

channel I I.

Number channel I I from which it projects. By the same procedure, the opposite tab I6 may similarly be raised from engagement with the tilt rod cradle I4, permitting the fitting to be lifted from the In some instances, it may be possible to remove the fitting after releasing only one of the tabs I6.

The opposite end 23 of the tool I! is used in a like manner for raising the tabs I5, I5 from engagement with the base of the tilter I2. Fig. 4 shows the position of the tool upon completion of the tab-raising operation. The end 23 of the tool is also used for performing a similar operation on the tabs which secure the cord look (not shown) the cord-lock-retaining tabs being of a width corresponding to the tabs I5, I5.

I claim:

1. A tool for facilitating the removal of a litting from within a Venetian blind hollow enclosed metal bar in which the fitting is secured to an interior wall of the head bar by at least one metal tab struck from the wall thereof, said tab extending into the interior of the head bar,

being bent over a portion of the fitting, and leaving a slot in the wall of the head bar adjacent to the tab, said tool comprising: a member formed of relatively thin sheet metal having a thin, flat, rigid end bent back upon itself in parallel spaced relation to form a hook for entry through said slot and for engagement over the fitting-securing tab to bend the same away from the fitting, said tool end being adapted for insertion through the slot adjacent to said tab, and having a generally straight body portion, the end of the tool having a slight transverse bend a. short distance from the hook and inclined in the same direction as the hook to facilitate engagement of the tool with the tab.

2. A tool as claimed in claim 1, having upstanding marginal stiffening flanges extending along the side edges thereof.

HARRY NELSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 961,375 Seabrook June 14, 1910 1,513,703 Frisch Oct. 28, 1924 1,515,349 Lossius Nov. 11, 1924 1,960,799 Sieg May 29, 1934 2,113,598 Mueller Apr. 12, 1938 2,264,161 Hammer Nov. 25, 1941 2,264,162 Hammer Nov. 25, 1941 2,302,910 Johannesmeyer Nov. 24, 1942 2,330,023 Balousek Sept. 21, 1943 2,429,327 Morgan Oct. 21, 1947 2,464,132 Hansord Mar. 8, 1949 2,503,683 Perkins Apr. 11, 1950 

